Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!-Chapter 498: Sly Old Man

This was it. The moment of truth.

Parker stepped forward with the kind of confidence that came from being the Prince of Existence but knowing when to show respect to those who’d earned it.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Parker said, his voice carrying genuine warmth. "I’ve heard a lot about you from Tessa."

The old man’s presence hit him like a physical force.

Grandfather Wilder had spent decades around Bishop, whose Eternal Tier power gave him a presence that most humans found overwhelming. But this young man went far beyond anything the old man had experienced.

This wasn’t just power. This was authority that existed on levels most beings couldn’t even perceive.

Bishop’s own presence recoiled instinctively as Parker’s gaze met his, and the bodyguard took a step back without conscious thought. It wasn’t fear—it was recognition. One apex predator acknowledging another who existed in an entirely different weight class.

But the old man saw something else entirely.

He saw the way his granddaughter’s face lit up when she looked at this young man. The way her smile could have powered small stars when Parker was nearby. The way she moved like someone who’d found her place in the universe.

That was worth more than all the power in existence.

"Pleased to meet you too," the old man said with a smile that carried decades of accumulated wisdom. "But I haven’t heard anything about you. Who might you be? Someone here to steal my sweet granddaughter?"

Sly old bastard. Testing him already.

Parker’s smile was genuine, carrying warmth that made the air itself seem brighter. "Parker Black. Tessa’s boyfriend."

Simple. Direct. No games.

Bishop shivered.

"Nyxlith, hmm?" The old man’s eyes flicked to Bishop, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "Quite a name you’ve got there. But surely it takes more than a name to win my granddaughter’s heart?"

The challenge was gentle but unmistakable.

Tessa’s smile could have lit up solar systems as she watched two of the most important men in her life size each other up. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"It would be a shame indeed to win such a wonderful woman with just my name alone," Parker agreed with a nod that carried respect and amusement in equal measure. "I’d hope to offer considerably more than that if you name what it is that you deem worthy of her ’cause she’s worthy everything to me and nothing I won’t do to have her."

Others in the ballroom were gasping softly. They knew who this young man was—had just witnessed him reshape reality with his emotions. But the old man didn’t seem to care about cosmic politics. And Parker seemed way too polite to what they’d seen.

Quite a character indeed.

The old man nodded approvingly, then gestured toward Aleric, who was finally getting to his feet and trying to reassemble his dignity from scattered pieces.

"The Ashfords have been offering a partnership," Grandfather Wilder said conversationally. "Such an alliance would bring the Wilders to another level entirely. That’s quite an offer in our world. I might as well consider giving my granddaughter to them."

The test was becoming more pointed.

Several guests shifted uncomfortably. Even knowing what they’d witnessed tonight, the old man was still playing the game according to traditional rules.

Aleric straightened, sensing opportunity in the old man’s words. This was his chance. If he could convince the patriarch directly...

Maybe the night wasn’t lost after all.

Parker chuckled, the sound carrying warmth and just a hint of cosmic amusement. "There’s a fundamental difference between Ashford and myself, sir."

Here we go.

"Aleric’s primary objective is maintaining wealth his family found already established—generational wealth built by previous generations that he inherited through accident of birth. He knows nothing about the genesis of the wealth he controls and could lose it just as easily." Parker’s voice carried the confidence of someone who’d built empires from nothing. "I, on the other hand, have accumulated and created my wealth through my own efforts. While Aleric can only maintain what was given to him, I build what I envision."

The distinction was razor-sharp and devastating.

"More than that," Parker continued, his smile never wavering, "I’m richer than he could ever hope to be... if we’re measuring riches which is quite childish and not my style but if it serves you right, i won’t mind mentioning it. Not just financially—in every way that matters. So, if you’re placing your bet on who can give you a better price for your granddaughter, old man, the choice should be obvious."

Aleric’s face was progressing through colors that didn’t exist in nature.

The young Ashford was fuming but couldn’t say anything. Everyone in the room knew Parker was talking about the family that had casually contributed a hundred trillion dollars to Manhattan’s reconstruction—money that had been spent like pocket change.

Parker hadn’t even checked his cashback system rewards from that expenditure yet.

The old man studied Parker for a long moment, his weathered face giving nothing away. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the kind of wisdom that came from decades of reading people and situations.

"Of course I’d bet on you, young man," he said with a smile that carried approval. "But I’m not a person who judges by words alone. I prefer actions."

The real test was coming.

Parker’s smile widened as he gestured toward Helena, who stepped forward with the kind of corporate efficiency that could reorganize reality according to quarterly projections.

But what happened next surprised even Parker.

Helena didn’t pull out financial documents or corporate acquisition papers. Instead, she reached into her jacket and withdrew a small pendant—something that looked old like a family heirloom and completely unexpected.

She held it up for the old man to see.

Grandfather Wilder took a step back, his face going pale as recognition hit him like a physical blow.

"Val," he whispered, the name carrying weight that made the air itself seem heavier.

The pendant gleamed with more than reflected light.

His mind flew back decades, to a day in New York when the world had seemed younger and full of possibilities. He’d been a different man then—still building his empire, still believing that human effort and determination could overcome any obstacle.

That was before he’d learned that some obstacles were cosmic in nature.

It had been 1980, and he’d been in Manhattan negotiating what should have been the deal of his lifetime.

He’d also afterwards considered himself dead that day...

That’s when she’d appeared.

Val!

She’d saved his life.

"Vera," he whispered again, the name carrying decades of gratitude and growing understanding.

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